Lady of Autumn
by Valkyryn
Summary: A Greek nymph by the name of Mei is in danger, her tree is to be cut down. She seeks out Nuada for aid, having been bonded to him and his sister for centuries. She finds out they are 'dead', but intends to resurrect them. And this is just the beginning...
1. Nymph

So, this is my first story for this site. I hope I'm adequate enough for people's tastes. This story is one that is subject to inspiration - as I have never been known to have a steady production rate for stories. So far I have two chapters finished, roughly about the same length, and the beginning / framework for the third. Sorry if there any mistakes, this is following the happenings of the movie versions of Hellboy 1 / 2, and inspired oddly enough, by many Nuada fan fictions though this is a Johann Krauss fiction. Enjoy!

**"Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 1  
**

No one in the park knew how old the old ash tree was, everyone had just decided it would always stand, like a stone monument, except so much more beautiful. The tree was most beautiful in the fall, leaves gold, red and orange, just barely brown on their edges. Oddly, there were no claims for the tree to become a landmark, though by far it was one of the largest ash trees in the state. Perhaps because it wasn't an evergreen, in the evergreen state, the state council didn't believe it worthy of mention. Well, for the children and adults who came to the small state park in which the tree was just outside, the tree was special and held many memories, and some even ventured to call it 'magical'. Hence why a protest was in place, a large circle of people with signs protecting the tree.

A business owner liked the area, and wanted to make a vacation hotel there, but lo and behold in his way was a massive ash tree that could also make a load of money by being made into paper or other precious items. Very rarely trees got to that girth and height and survived outside of a park. So it was set that the tree would be cut down for his gain, after all, it didn't hurt him in any way. Fortunately, people loved the mountain ash, and would not idly stand by to let their precious memories be chopped down.

She wept fearfully, invisible to those humans below her boughs. She also wept happily, for her friends, for that was what she considered them, were protecting her. Her glamour, her protecting magic, was strong, and she matched her tree beautifully. But now her tree, and her life, were in danger. She would have only a short amount of time to gather help, for the evil humans would eventually bear down on her home, her life, and kill the both of them. Her purple gown, held up by a malleable golden frame that resembled a great curve-branched tree, shifted slightly as she hopped down another branch, her nose sniffling. Her long hair flounced behind her, seeming to change color in the sunlight, yet always mimicking the beauty of her leaves.

She needed to get help, and there was only one family which she knew would help her. The Bethmoora Clan. Well, the son of the Bethmoora, anyways. She had a long lasting alliance with them, and the family had always been there to help her and the other meliads before. But when the last threat came, and the Bethmoora negotiated slyly with the humans to make the state park protecting her sisters, the humans somehow neglected to place her wondrous ash tree inside the boundaries. The threat had been imminent, but she had hoped she would not need to call on the Bethmoora so soon these centuries. Most humans were greedy - but not her friends, the ones below that protected her. Children, teen and adult alike vocally protested as a large machine the humans called a 'bulldozer' stood by, the greedy workers growing impatient.

She hopped to the ground, light on her bare feet. The birds in the branches whistled sadly, ravens and crows voiced their disgust through vocal caws, jays and robins chirped angrily while squirrels chattered in the hollows the nymph had made for them, they didn't want to lose their home either. They knew the tree would not last long. Even a cat perched alongside the birds, looking sorrowful. She nodded to them, her large downcast doe-like ears flicking as she listened. The Bethmoora were on the opposite side of the country - and she had forgotten how to call them to her. She could not reach her sisters, she was alone right now because of the magical barrier the Bethmoora had placed around the state park boundary. The barrier was to ensure the park was protected for all eternity. Her tree didn't even have a branch inside the barrier, so she was completely exiled of her kin. She missed their company, but being alone had strengthened her somewhat, mentally and emotionally.

She waded her invisible path out of the protesters, the humans weren't even aware she existed, excluding the young children who still believed in magic. A little girl stopped her once, gently tugging at her pure purple silken gown. The nymph, meliad, smiled and knelt down to the little girl who released her. The little human girl was only about four years old.

"Momma gonna save you, miss." the little girl murmured sadly, pouting. The nymph smiled, and tucked a strand of curly hair behind the child's ear, then kissed her forehead, almost seeming to leave a golden glow. The girl brightened. The nymph stood once more, turned, and exited the circle of jeering people. There, a small source of light engulfed her for those who could see her, and in her place stood what seemed to be a graceful form of a doe, with all the strength of a horse including a mane, and the long tufted tail of a lion. On the center of the doe-like creature was a long and smooth upward curving horn. The eyes betrayed a loving playful nature, but at the moment they were sad. This was the meliad, the ash tree nymph, who was granted by ancient Greek gods the ability to travel as a hippoi monokerata, a one horned horse, a unicorn. Her name was Mei Monokera, taken from Meliad Hippoi Monokerata, the ash tree unicorn.

The figure seemed to dance on the two cloven toes, before running off in a leaping gait. She would be swift in this form, but she had far to reach the city of new york, and the underground where the Bethmoora's son, exiled, sought shelter.

Traveling the country had been relatively easy, she could run at a speed where not even natural animals could sense her, but to keep up that pace she had to stop frequently, every night, to rest. That left her vulnerable, though she sheltered herself in the resident trees, who trembled at her presence, more than willing to offer her a place to rest. It was mid-autumn, and the trees were just beginning to lose their leaves, and her hair was just beginning to turn brown from the golden it was currently, shortening to match her tree's changing condition. She always grew a little depressed as winter started to curb her favorite season, decreasing her beauty and energy. Soon enough her hair would be to her shoulders, the shortest it would ever be, and the palest brown, almost sickly looking in comparison to her normally vibrant green, red, or present yellow gold.

She wanted to find the Bethmoora son, but she wasn't sure where he would be inside the state the humans had dubbed 'new york', though she'd never even heard of the first york....Well, that just showed what she knew. She stepped delicately, her glamour making her appear 'invisible', but really as a small seemingly glowing speck of dust among the forest. Children and Animals, fey and truly believing adult humans could see her, or whenever she was injured. She was weary, and perhaps that was a bad thing. Her journey into the humans' state of New York had taken her all of three days - she hadn't felt any pain from her tree, so the protesters were still standing strong and protecting her, whether they knew she was a living thing or not.

She was being very careful, now that she wasn't in the bordering woodlands. She was in the full rush of humanity, large looming buildings, zooming cars that threatened to kill her, and crazy folk who crowded the pathways she was trying to use to get underground. To say the least, she was having difficulty getting anywhere, at least in her monokerata form - as her horned doe form, what the humans fabled as a unicorn. She paused, then reconsidered. It would be safer to pass as a nymph, even to the fey folk, for unicorns were very rare, and their horns precious. To be recognized as a unicorn...She was suddenly very fearful of approaching the fey, she hadn't been in contact with them for so long, she wasn't sure if she would be safe and protected or not.

If all else failed, she would call upon her guardian to infuse her essence in her tree, so she could at least raise seedlings, if not continue in her nymph-like form. Zeus owed her that much after conquering her father, forcing her mother into mourning millenia ago. She still missed her father, Uranus, but as it was, Zeus still loved all the nymphs, even if he did tend to try and woo them on occasion... She was one of the eldest nymphs, therefore he had no chance of courting her. Not that she was able to provide offspring, anyways. Seeing as she was an early form of Nymph, a shifter even so, she could only produce seedlings to plant during the spring, nothing more.

She shook her doe-like head, she'd lost concentration again, and accidentally let someone bump into her, leaving the person startled and wondering what they'd nudged. She quickly changed her form from monokerata to meliad, hence her name, Mei Monokera, and sighed softly. She frowned however when she noticed how short her hair had gotten. Her mane on her monokerata hadn't been so drastic a change, but now instead of her hair being to her ankles, the ends of the lush now pale orange and gold hair only barely reached her knees. However, she brushed this off, and tried to make her way through the outsides of the crowds, but was unluckily bumped repeatedly, leaving many bewildered humans in her wake. She felt suddenly guilty for causing them distress, but she could do nothing of it until she reached the troll market, where her source was supposed to be. She actually wasn't even sure if she was in the right state, she was prone to getting lost when so far away from her tree - it was only the natural draw to magic that lead her, and before she'd felt many such pulls. She'd gone to the one closest, and hoped for it to be the correct one.

She slipped into an empty alleyway, suddenly feeling claustrophobic among all the humans who could not see her. Her ears were beginning to sting at the tips - many people's shoulders had bumped into them. Being short had many disadvantages - seeing as she was around, oh, perhaps four foot six or so? It also didn't help that her gown was already stained with dirty water at the hem. That wouldn't come out for a long time - not without a few thorough washes of rain water. Her feet were aching, too. The cold stone that the humans favored in their cities was making her delicate feet feel very tender and sore. She hoped she'd locate help soon...

She heard a faint hissing sound - though not of any animal she'd heard before. She turned to her right as she leaned against a stone building that was on one side of the alleyway. Large metal containers of all shapes and sizes were strewn about, along with what seemed to be thin brown bark squares, too.

"_Is anyone there_?" she called out cautiously in her normal tongue - she hadn't spoken English in so long, it was fuzzy to her, so she spoke in Gaelic instead. Most fey knew that language, so if this was some fey creature come to her aid, they should know it. A shadow lurked out, and the hissing grew louder, the shadow seeming to grow in small sections, as if steam was emitted through the sides of a large dome. She waited for a response, but got none. She looked back out into the commotion with her golden eyes, for her eye color always matched her hair's, and then to the shadow. She yelped, and leapt back in surprise when she noticed the figure was directly next to her. But the figure seemed completely ignorant of her, as if they could not see her through her glamour. Oh, they probably couldn't. She spent a moment to investigate this newcomer, and noticed that though he was mostly a cloth-figure, mechanical sections were also prominent, along with his clear glass dome holding steam.

"Who is there?" the mechanical figure asked, in a heavy German accent. 'Ah, he must not know Gaelic...' she pondered to herself. But he had heard her? Hesitantly, she reached an arm out and gingerly brushed her hand against his shoulder, to see if he could feel her. He flinched, backing off from where she'd touched him. The vents on the side of his dome opened, allowing a bit of steam to pass, as if he were breathing. Curiously, she reached out once more, and this time touched his hand, and when he moved to back away, she held it somewhat firmly, holding it out in front of her. Unable to recall her English still, she tried Gaelic once more.

"_You can feel me.. But you cannot see me_? _Can you hear me, too_?" she asked softly, her voice quiet like a whisper, or the wind passing through leaves. His head tilted curiously in response.

"Mein heirr, I hear und feel you, but I cannot understand you. But you are magic, ja?" he asked, seeming no longer afraid of her touch, now that he partially understood the situation. She moved her hand so both of their arms were at full length, palm and fingers oddly placed together, then moved her first finger once down then up his first finger. Hopefully he understood her response as an agreement to his statement. He made an interesting sound, almost like a sigh and a release of more steam, and his dome bobbed up and down once.

"Is there a way for me to see you, Fraeulein?" he asked, though she didn't understand his last word. Reluctantly, she repeated the agreeing action.

"Will you show yourself to me?" he asked. She sighed, and repeated the action, but this time included two. 'No..' she thought to herself sadly. If folk were to look into the ally, she would be seen. He seemed to understand.

"Is there a place were you could show yourself, perhaps away from the people?" he asked, and this time she let a smile form on her tan skin, her lips a soft brown, and told him yes.

"Ah, well then. I shall lead the way, if that is alright with you, mein dame?" he asked. Again, she didn't understand his language, but he seemed kind enough. She told him yes, and he turned, beginning to walk down the alleyway. She followed, her steps light and silent on the cold stone of the alleyway. The journey seemed forever, but he eventually led her, without being seen himself, to what appeared to be an abandoned building, guarded by a lone steel gate. He completely passed the gate, and led her past the boundary through a different passageway. He led her further, though she was starting to become very worried. The building seemed very desolate. He entered through a set of doors, and to her surprise a uniquely decorated human hallway greeted them, the floor cold and stone, but smooth to her bare feet and a welcome change to the rough grit humans favored outdoors. The scene vaguely reminded her of the Greek halls, with the decorated pillars and such, but there was the constant nagging that this was human made, not god made, that bothered her. He seemed ever confident that she was a non-dangerous figure, though, so she continued by his side. Who knows, maybe he could help her find the Bethmoora's son.

"Here, mein Fraeulein. Step here, und you will not hit the walls on the way down." he stated, startling her for a moment. For that moment, her hand had left his, and he seemed startled too.

"_I apologize, you frightened me_." she murmured shortly in Gaelic. He didn't understand her, she knew that, but the gesture wasn't left unnoticed as she shyly took his mechanical hand once more, and also placed her other hand on the adjacent shoulder, placing one of her feet next to his, just to signal she was close. Apparently, he hadn't thought she was close enough, so he brought around his other hand, smartly finding her shoulder, and bringing her invisible body chest to chest with his. She had yelped, but he made no further advancement, so she, though blushing, made mo movement to get away. Zeus wouldn't allow her to have intimacies with anything other than the wind, so she silently hoped he wasn't watching at the moment.

"Pardon me, mein Fraeulein. I had to make sure," he stated, the little bits on his dome moving as his words were uttered. She nodded against his chest, still wholly embarrassed. But that faded away as she felt the ground shift below her, and yelped again as the ground seemed to be lowering, and the floor coming up around them. She was shaking, but realized that this was the reason the German wanted her so close. After the ground had passed above them, he'd slackened his grip on her. She looked below them, for they still seemed to be moving, and she noticed that it was just a section of the stone that was lowering, slowly, to a large underground human-made building.

"No reason to be afraid, we will go to my quarter, und no one except me will see you there, mein Fraeulein." he told her comfortingly. She had a vague sense the word he was using over and over again was some endearment, though not one that would be impolite, for he seemed to courtly for anything other than such. She nodded to him again, and wondered just how much he could feel from her, him being mechanical and all. The ground halted the lowering movements, and the ground pieces were level with each other. There was a throng of similarly dressed people, in black and a little white, with all kinds of fey being handled, some brutish creatures and large, some small and impish. She didn't know any of them, nor did she really want to. They looked like creatures that would more than willingly betray her to the troll market - though for sure all of them could see her through her glamour, and in fact a large mawed one tried to snap at her, before the humans handling it pulled it forcibly away, much to her relief. The German continued, relaxed, and led her through many hallways, until they reached a hallway bearing many large silver circles, that looked impenetrable. He left her hands for a moment, pressed a few small squares that lit up when he touched them. The silvery circle parted from the wall a bit, and the German parted it further, allowing them space. He held his mechanical cold hand out expectantly, and she took it gingerly.

He led her inside, and made sure she was fully in the space, once again bringing her to his metal and cloth chest, before turning around to close the door once more - she realized that was what it was, after she'd seen him part it within his grasp.

"There we are, we are hidden. Only I will see you, und I will admit, I am most curious to meet you. I hope you can speak English or German a little, however." he chuckled, straightening in a shivering mechanical way. He seemed cheery enough. She paused, then nibbled a little on her lip, before giving a cute sigh and calling her glamour back into herself. He seemed shocked when she gazed confidently, albeit a little downcast in her gaze, at him.

"I... am in need of... Help." she whispered quietly, in rough and accented English, her voice a little shaky. She was in no way confident in her English speaking abilities. For centuries she'd not talked to any humans, and children wouldn't understand Gaelic, or her rough English, so she'd never tried. He seemed to be looking her over.

"In what form of help do you need? Without authorization I am afraid I can do very little. I must inform you, I am already going over my orders, bringing you here, mein Fraeulein..." he told her sympathetically. And that was an understatement. Having been involved with Hellboy for the past two years or so however, had given him the mental security that he could in fact bend the rules if he saw the occasion worthy of it. She frowned.

"Bethmoora. I need Prince Nuada...Silverlance. Or his sister." she stated, a little irritated. She will not have come here all for nothing, surely? The German balked a little at the mention of the prince.

"Nuada is long since dead, und the same with his sister...Two years ago they were turned to stone by their deaths. Nuada tried to resurrect the Golden Army, und failed. His sister killed them both, for the sake of humanity." he replied softly. Now it was Mei's turn to balk. She looked at him with disgust.

"How... How dare you! Nuada... He cannot be...I would have felt..." she stuttered, wracking her memories for a moment of intense pain - for she would feel either of the siblings' pain, once or twice she had felt short simple pains on her skin, because she had sworn herself to the Bethmoora family in order for their protection, but...She had never sensed their passing. Perhaps they were not fully dead?

"I am sorry, mein Fraeulein....They are dead. I saw it myself. I am no expert on them, but perhaps Agent Sapien would be able to tell you more, he was very close to Nuala." he offered, all the while using his hands to express his words - she hadn't noticed it before. She nodded shakily.

"Please...I must see them...I am in danger," she whispered, almost in tears, though she held back her emotions just enough.


	2. Meeting the Freaks

**"Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 2**

Johann could tell she was in distress. But he was sure that Nuada and Nuala were long past any hope of recovery. He and the team had seen the royal twins turn to stone...What did this...Admittedly attractive female want to do with the deceased twins? They had been left in their dying conditions, their tomb amongst the golden army left undisturbed. In fact, Hellboy, Abe, Liz and himself had actually left the BPRD. But that hadn't lasted long, Hellboy, and thus Liz and Abe, were sucked back into the team within months because of the lack of finding a suitable homestead. He himself only joined once because he missed being able to come back to a place and not be disturbed... Well, also because Johann could not find a suitable place to remain secret. Of course certain new arrangements were settled upon in their new individual contracts.

But that didn't calm his ethereal mind of why this autumn-colored female wished to see Nuada. He couldn't even be sure of what she was - she had the odd looming aura of something older, though, greek perhaps. But he also recognized the speech she was using, though he couldn't understand her when she used the foreign tongue. She had been using gaelic. Definitely an old, possibly immortal character in front of him. It would be a good idea to bring her to Abe. He would be able to communicate with her better. But the question was, would she follow him again?

They had been in silence, she was still searching her memories, and she couldn't recall a moment of intense pain. She would not have died like the twins, but it would have been very obvious that they would have been killed. Her thoughts were interrupted when the german gently touched her shoulder.

"I will take you to Agent Sapien, you two will be able to talk easier, und he might be able help you. If you will follow me?" he asked. She nodded, and they once more held hands, and her glamour enveloped her again, leaving him to guide her out of the space invisibly by touch. She wasn't used to being in such technological areas, but she had no hate for the general population of humans, so did not judge their so called advances in the world. She did wish they did not kill so many trees, but she could not avenge the past without turning into a hypocrite. And she wouldn't dare go against Zeus - he loved the humans, and even to this day courted the occasional wench, creating the humans with powers that existed accordingly. For a moment she glanced at the german's hand, and wondered if anyone would wonder why he seemed to be holding an invisible person's hand, but as no one seemed to notice, she didn't bother worrying. He opened a large set of doors after leading her through many creature-handling-human infested hallways. She was becoming claustraphobic again, but didn't mention it.

When she passed through, she was stunned, and accidentally let her grip go slack on the mechanic's hand, and she was frozen in the doorway from amazement. He turned around to find her, but her glamour was still in effect. It was a library, and a most impressive one, too. She had never really been able to read before, but that was because she'd been restricted from the hall of gods' library. After all, nymphs weren't important enough for such high knowledge. She had never gotten over her grudge to Zeus for that, and she had given him quite a sting on the toes from a whiplish move of a root she'd made a tree do. She was a woodworker, and she took advantage of it when she was smarted, though she had grown timid over the centuries, softened by the presence of little human children.

She remembered her glamour was up, and sheepishly lowered it, allowing the mechanical german to see her once more.

"Johann, is that you?" a foreign voice called from above. Startled, Mei jumped and was englamoured once more.

"Ah, Agent Sapien. I have a Freund with me, I believe you will have more in common with her than myself. She is a magic creature, und I would like for her to remain secret. She says she needs to find the Prince Nuada, but I regret to have informed her of the royal twins' passing two years previous." Johann replied - Mei guessed that was his name anyways, as a fish-resembling humanoid walked down a spiral staircase that led down to their level. He was blue, with wide sapphire eyes, and an obvious intelligence about him. But she knew he could not see her.

"I'm... Afraid I don't see her, Johann. Is she waiting outside?" the so-called Sapien replied, a little disbelieving. Johann shook his head, and looked back at where he'd last seen Mei. Reluctantly, after double-checking that the doors were closed, let down her protective glamour, much to the fish's surpise, who gave a little sound to accent his startle. She didn't look him in the eyes - she'd been showing herself around a lot today, at least in comparison to what she was used to, and that was starting to bother her.

"Oh, my goodness. And.. You were looking for Prince Nuada?" he asked her, albiet a bit timidly, as if the topic were more sensative than she knew. She looked up at him a bit bravely, and spoke boldly in gaelic.

"I am Mei Monokera, daughter of Uranus and Mother Gaia, sworn by oath and bonded to the twins of the Bethmoora clan, Nuada and Nuala. Two centuries earlier, they rescued my sisters from being murdered, enclosing them within a magical boundary which followed the legal lines of a state park. Somehow, my tree was excluded, and now I am in danger once again. My tree, millenia old as am I, is less than days from being destroyed at the hand of a human group who knows nothing other than greed. I am partially protected for the time being, but my time is short. I need to see Nuada, for he is the one I am most closely bonded with, either him, or his sister." she explained thoroughly to him, though she sounded strong, she was shaking a little. She was still in shock at what had to be false news about Nuada and Nuala's deaths. It just couldn't be true.

"Oh my....I'm afraid that what Johann has told you is true, Miss Monokera... The twins are dead...Nuala died in my arms..." he said quietly, though in english, looking crestfallen. Mei wouldn't believe it.

"It cannot be! I would have felt their pain, I would have suffered the emotional withdrawal of their passing if they were truly gone! You both must be mistaken - I demand to see where they are!" she cried weakly, though her emotional walls were beginning to break. She didn't believe it to be true, she couldn't. She hadn't been too close to the twins - she didn't see them often enough, but whenever they had visited her tree...She couldn't hold back the tears that spilled over her cheeks, golden like her blood. This color...never changed.

"Hey Abe! Come here, I need to show you - oh...Well who's this?" came yet another new voice. This time, Mei didn't startle, she fell to her knees sobbing after emitting a cry of anguish, covering her face with her hands. Her hair fell over her form, all but separating her from the others in the room, including the newly entered Hellboy, Anung un Rama.

"What's up with her?" Hellboy asked a bit rudely, but that was his nature. Abe looked at him regretfully.

"She was looking for Nuada, or Nuala. It appears that they were very close, and despite it, she was uninformed of their deaths..." Abe explained, voice filled with sorrow. Hellboy grunted to show he understood, but made no other gesture. Johann looked at Mei a bit confused. Why did she care so much for an exiled prince whom wanted to destroy the world? He didn't understand, due to not understanding gaelic, that by Abe's explanation to her, she'd just about been given a death sentance.

"She wants to see where they were turned to stone...Is anyone not about to be put on missions soon?" Abe asked, obviously a bit concerned. Hellboy thought about it for a moment.

"We'd have to ask Manning, as much as I'd rather not, but if he says we can't go you can take her, Abe. Me and Liz can handle any baddies that come out," Red stated smugly. Mei couldn't help but scoff a little at this, despite her tears.

"Demons are not wholly immortal, Anung un Rama... No one is. Everyone has their weakness..." She murmured to him in gaelic, moving so her hands were pressed to her knees. She radiated sadness - one could just glance at her and know she was in deep sorrow, whether you saw her eyes, whole face, posture or simply her very expressive ears. Johann pondered for a minute the sensativity of those ears - to be so expressive they had to have a lot of muscle and nerve tissue in them, therefore, sensative. That was curious, for he had remembered that the elves' ears were sensative as well, though he was still unsure whether it was a sexual stimulant, or just something other, as in a ticklish feeling. If she stayed, which Johann sadly doubted, he would have to ask her about it. He was curious about her - she was the first nymph he'd ever seen, and he knew little about them. Supposedly they had gone into hiding like the majority of the fey population. Hellboy gave a scoff in return at her comment, crossing his arms.

"Hell, Abe just take her to Anterim, screw Manning." Hellboy grumbled. Mei looked up at him, a soft smile on her face.

"For someone destined to destroy the world, you seem to have a soft spot, Anung un Rama." She whispered appreciatively. Hellboy mumbled something to himself. Mei managed to get herself to her feet, and gracefully walked the few feet over to Hellboy, and since he was too tall for her to reach his face to kiss his cheek, she gently held his stone hand, kissing the middle circle that represented a knuckle. He seemed a bit moved by the gesture, but didn't back away. As with the little girl, there seemed to be a faint golden glow, perhaps not in the shape of lips, but a golden glow centered on that one knuckle. Hellboy considered shrugging her off, but something told him not to. She was of a different nature than he was used to, but not in a way that was dangerous, or even attractive. Just...Natural.

"What are you anyways?" He asked, not really caring if he was rude or not. That wasn't his style, unless Liz was involved anyways. Or the twins...She looked at him with her large eyes, faintly reminiscent of a deer's, just like her ears which were also perked up and forward, not so solemn anymore. They were golden with tinges of orange and brown, even a faint red, in perfect harmony with her hair and skin, and even that oddly contrasting purple gown.

"I am a Meliad, protector of the woodlands, and specifically an elder mountain ash tree in the state of washington. I am also gifted with the ability to transform into an animal much more important than a simple meliad. I sacrificed the opportunity to bear children for this privaledge. Now I can only produce seedlings around my tree." She explained softly, backing up a few feet and bowing. Abe was immediately on the subject.

"May we see this other form?" he asked, intruiged. Mei looked at him, a bit surprised.

"I'm afraid that my form is in a delicate position. I would only shift if you three swore your lives to keep the secret, unless I allow you to tell another. You will be bound to this, I warn you, by your blood. If you break the oath - you will never be able to go near plantlife again." she warned softly. Abe nodded immediately, Hellboy was a little more hesitant, however, but the two of them mumbled a short promise. Johann, unaware of the conversation because he didn't understand them, just stood as Mei looked at him expectantly - before she recalled he couldn't understand her. She bit her lip softly, and looked to Abe for assistance.

"Oh! Of course. Johann, she is willing to show us her alternative form, if we swear on our lives not to betray her secret. She warned us that if he betray her, we won't be able to get near plantlife.. again." Abe translated to the ethereal being, who gave a small tilt of his head.

"Of course, mein Fraeulein. You have my word," he replied graciously, bowing a little. Mei nodded, and stepped back again after triple-checking the doors were closed. A short light enveloped her, and in the nymph's place stood a purely magical being, innocent, and powerful.

"My goodness! Hippoi Monokerata! Oh I never thought I'd - of course I will keep your secret!" Abe sputtered, a bit overwhelmed. The doe-resembling figure seemed to smile under the mane, the shining horn the purest color of purple, the same as the nymph's gown had been. So that was why her greek-inspired clothing was purple, not white as was typical of greeks.

"May I..?" Abe asked gingerly, holding a hand out towards her. Surprisingly, the doe instead of backing away, approached him instead. Abe almost forgot that this was still a meliad, and the female that had been in front of them. Abe flinched a little when the soft brown nose touched his webbed hand, but did not flinch because of the contact. He flinched because of the flow of information he began to collect from that simple connection. She was desperately in need of help - he could grasp that much. Apparently she could also heal anything, though it would take a lot of energy from her to do so. If someone she intended to heal was dead or near death, she would be gravely ill for weeks in recovery, her tree would be unharmed of this effect though. Another attribute, common to all unicorns though rare they were, she could abolish poisons and toxins. Both were very handy to have. But she was restricted in this form, as well, which was a downside. She could only use her powers in this form, she could only talk to animals not humanoids, and she was very weak. She could not defend herself besides running away.

"If we find a way to protect your tree...You would be more than welcome to stay here. You would be safe here - we could even transport your tree here into the bureau, and you could stay if you wished." Abe offered, rounding his hand over the tan furred snout. She snorted a little, but he didn't feel any disagreement from her, only peace. He ran his other hand over her mane, and she leaned into the caress gently.

Johann watched curiously. So this was her, a nymph, rare already, and a unicorn to boot? It was no wonder she felt she was in danger, and followed him. If humans, or indeed other fey folk found her and forced her into this alternate form, she would be slaughtered for that horn. He was tempted himself to ask her for a shaving or two, for experimental purposes only, but he knew he would never get a chance to discuss her species with her then. He wanted to learn about the Nymphs, and greek creatures.

"If we want to get to Anterim, we will need to leave soon, or you will, Agent Sapien." Johann informed, a little impatient. He would hate to see such a graceful creature destroyed because of their lack of action. Abe nodded, releasing her, and with a short flash of light she became the nymph once again.

The plane had been jarring to her, and more than once she pleaded for them to get close to the water they were crossing over and she'd just _swim_ the rest of the way. She didn't like the feel of this machine at all! So foreign and.. And human! Abe was flying the contraption, and for some odd reason Hellboy and Johann had elected to come, also. Apparently they were bored. Currently, she was sitting somewhere near the middle, in one of the six or so seats that were facing each other in the small area. She was shaking violently as another wave of turbulence rocked the plane. She would much rather be swimming to Anterim! Johann was watching her, and Hellboy was sleeping casually, as if this was a normal occurance to have a female freaking out across from him. Johann however, was the one sitting directly in front of her, and therefore was the one who was trying to comfort her.

"Mein Freaulein, there is nothing to be afraid of. We are quite safe in here," he claimed, though he had told her this many times. Johann heard a quick spout of stuttering panicked gaelic that he once more, could not understand. She definitely was scared, and again in distress, and there seemed to be nothing the ethereal could do about it. She had her knees tucked to her chest, feet on the seat with her, and her arms bracing her on each side. Her eyes were wide with fear, and she wouldn't stop mumbling to herself in gaelic, though on occasion she had whimpered in rough english for her to be let out so she could swim to Anterim. Johann had rebuked her and told her that no matter how fast a swimmer, they would reach Anterim sooner than if she could even run on water, which for some reason Johann didn't doubt at the moment. A little more that perturbed at the fact he couldn't settle her, he gave an airy sigh, and held out one of his hands in front of him, uncapping the small metal bit at the end of his first finger. A bit of what appeared to be steam flowed forth, causing Mei to pause her worried actions in curiosity.

"Now, don't panic, this is to help you." he murmured as the cloud lingered slowly and cautiously towards the harrowed nymph. He was tired of trying to convince her she was safe, so he would force her to remain still for the remainder of the ride. Typically he could only control another being, especially a full-size humanoid figure for a very short time, but that was when he was having the figure do something for him. This time, he simply wanted her to become calm. And perhaps he could convince her to talk with him during the wait. The steam like substance reached her, and rather than try and swat the stuff away, Johann was greeted with a pleasant surprise as she remained still, and closed her eyes while taking a deep breathe. That eased the situation a bit, and his essence, though not forcibly doing so apparently, invaded her body, if one wanted to use such an ugly term as that.

"There we are. Nothing wrong now, see?" he chuckled, and Mei only responded with a timid nod of her head. She felt...Relaxed, and soothed as soon as the foreign misty substance entered her. She wasn't sure what Johann had done, but he was helping, so far.

"Thank you...I...Think." she stumbled, though she wasn't the slightest embarassed over her stumble. She was completely in peace at the moment. And she had no clue why - that almost worried her, but the emotion just wouldn't surface enough for her to care.

"It is no problem to me, mein freaulein. I simply have suppressed the majority of your emotions, which would mean you will not be allowed to fret over the ride," he replied, seeming more than happy to explain his process on anything. Mei nodded, now realizing what she had in a way, ingested. She'd breathed in a part of his essence - she'd known he was ethereal, by the steam, but she didn't know he could part way, or fully posess a being.

"Now, we have about three more hours until we reach County Anterim. There, we will walk to the giant's causeway, where two years ago we discovered the golden army, which now is forever dormant because of Agent Sherman's noble act of melting the crown pieces." Johann narrated, though Mei wasn't particularly interested in how they would get there, only that they got there soon. She didn't know how much longer her human friends would be able to protect her...She expected any moment now for her to get a gaping would in her stomach that would rend her in half, just as a bulldozer would pulp the trunk of her tree, splitting it in two. She hugged her knees solemnly at that thought. Johann may be suppressing her emotions that would cause her fear, but this was sorrow. If the twins were beyond resurrection, she was doomed, and all the time away from her precious tree would have been for naught.

An hour and a half passed, and finally Johann had to momentarily bother the nymph to reclaim the part of him that he'd lent her, though she had been rather sad instead the past ninety minutes and continued to be, seemingly over her initial fright. He hadn't asked her what was wrong - he knew she was mourning about either the twins or her probable death. Truly, he was sad for her too. It reminded him vaugely of when he lost his love - though he doubted his connection had been as vital as her's. The tree, Abe had informed him, was her life, her heart and soul. If either of them died, truly died, so would the counterpart. So, as long as the stump of the tree remained, she would remain alive, but after her story had been explained in detail to Johann, he doubted even a scrap of bark would be left behind. Her chance of survival was little to none, especially once she saw the present condition of the royal twins herself.

Johann was still curious of her connection to the twins - all any of them knew was that a century or two before, her family of nymphs had been threatened, and the Bethmoora family had subsided the threat up until now. But Mei Monokera alone was left out on accident, but had been bonded with the elven twins since even before then, and shared their pain even if she did not bear the wounds. She had not cared to explain the purpose of this bond, and what a nymph could do for elvenkind in return for such a magnitude of protection.

Johann could only assume it lied with her other form, of her 'Monokerata' form, as she tended to call it instead of the common term 'Unicorn'. Perhaps it was a safety measure on her part, few knew the term Monokerata except gaelic speakers, and most underground or fey folk spoke only elvish or troll, which were the common. Royal elven families, and old blood fey creatures used gaelic, not the common everyday persons. Hellboy only knew gaelic because he was the fabled Anung un Rama, and being a demon, he knew the language.

Abe had briefly mentioned Mei's powers in her unicorn transformation - abolishing poisons and curing any and all damage, including death as long as the body was intact.

"Mein gott! Mein freaulein, you intend to resurrect one or more of the twins using your monekerata horn?!" Johann exclaimed loudly after making, what he assumed to be, the correct connection. Mei stared at him with wide eyes, her lips slightly parted with what he could only assume was shock. Even the slumbering Hellboy jumped awake at Johann's outburst, and was looking around bewilderedly.

"How... did you know?" she asked in a whisper that once again reminded him of wind between leaves, a truly sweet sound. He banished the thought from his ethereal head, and gave a mechanical sputter.

"You wish to see the twins even after three agents have told you they are dead, Agent Sapien informed us that one of the powers of your monokerata horn is to heal any wound, and even to resurrect the dead to a certain degree. Nuada was crumbled to pieces, and Nuala petrified, but whole. If my theory is correct, if you were to touch your horn to Nuala's stone remains, she would be revived, and thus because of their bond, Nuada would be as well, though his return would be much more painful I would venture, with all those little pieces having to rejoin and all...." he trailed off, tapping his metal tipped fingers together. Mei's face changed drastically from sorrow and shock to the utmost happiness.

"I did not think any of you would understand my reasoning...I can only hope that we reach them in time, and that they are not past recovery..." she replied softly, obviously touched by the ectoplasmic doctor's discovery. Johann was a little dissapointed when she had spoke in gaelic again, but the sleepy Hellboy gave a quick but mumbled translation.


	3. Angel of Death

So it has been a little while since I submitted, and this is a fair bit shorter than what I normally put out, but I wanted to make sure I got out what I had before the ideas left me. :) Sorry if this isn't what you expected, if you were expecting anything. haha

**"Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 3**

The goblin king had seen them approaching, and once he saw the golden coloration of their shortest member, he practically fell off his cart.

"Why lady Kera! I didn't think I'd be seeing you ever again. You all but left the elf courts after the army was made. What can I do for you, if a favor is what you be needing?" the goblin snorted, an odd grin on his yellow warty skin. She approached him, knelt down to one knee, and simply held out the small golden coin that was attached to a choker around her neck. Johann had noticed it before, but had thought it just a trinket. The goblin sputtered once, then hastily grabbed at his whistle, making it emitt a sharp trill twice. Hellboy, Abe, and Johann watched as the stony giant took his time sitting up. Mei stood next to the goblin king, her face ever sorrow filled, but now she had a spark of hope. Johann was curious to see what was so different about her choker, but would have to ask later.

As soon as the giant's doorway parted, Mei was inside the stony passageway, not waiting for the rest of them. The goblin remained outside while the three agents rushed to catch up with the lightfooted nymph. When they caught up with her after making their way through the hundreds of golden metal bodies blocking the stairway, she had already reached the petrified Nuala's body. She looked over at them, and screamed in gaelic.

"Stay! Do not enter the circle! If any of Nuada's crumbled remains are missplaced he will not revive! Stay outside the circle!" she shouted to Hellboy and Abe - the latter provided a hasty translation to Johann, who was more than willing to agree.

Mei gingerly ran a finger over the marble cheek of Nuala, frozen where she had fell, held in Abe's arms...She was serene, just like the marble statues of the greek halls...Only somehow finer. She reluctantly withdrew her hand, and stood to change quickly. Her form shifted, and as she took a moment to get her legs stable under herself, she looked at Nuada's broken statue. It was saddenning, and she hated to see him in such a state. She only wished that the siblings' bond had held true through their death. She bent her neck, dipping her head to Nuala's chest and allowing her purple horn to skim the surface of the marble. Instantly she felt the drain on her powers, on her stamina, and fell withered to the ground, her equine and neck over Nuala's body, wailing in a high pitched sound that could only be described as the purest agony.

The afterlife...He hadn't thought it would be so...Bland. He missed the colors of life - even the bland palette of the human world would suffice right now. The only good side to this punishment of afterlife, forever frozen like his statue of a body, was that his sister was with him. They stood next to each other, and he could only gaze upon her. They had no voices, and she never looked at him. He could still see the wound under her left breast...The one that she had made to stop him. She didn't even look at him...Yet he stared at her always, hardly looking elsewhere. She just stood there, eyes closed as he gazed at her. Nuada was tired of the rejection, wishing only that he could hold his sister once more, and to receive the attention he so desired, the attention which, in life, Nuala had been giving to the fish man Abraham...

He wished he could see the trees again, the grass, and yes, even the stone cold buildings of the humans. Anything other than his sister's rejecting face. He closed his black eye lids, wishing he could voice his sorrow, his regret at his actions.

And in a sudden moment, he was able to voice those sorrows as he felt a gut wrenching sensation, pain erupting in his body, starting at his heart and flowing outwards, as if his entire body was dying from the center. And in the shadow of his own screams of pain he heard another voice, two. Both of them female. He opened his eyes, but his vision was blurred, but he could make out basic shapes and... Color.

He could see Nuala as she screamed, but there were two female voices, and no other female screaming next to the twins. He couldn't believe he was screaming with pain, except that he could feel it. As his vision went in and out of focus, each time there was more and more color to it, as if his wish was being granted. And the screams became clearer every moment, and eventually his vision did, as well. And to his great surprise, as he lifted his hand in front of his face, he saw the extremeties being remade before his eyes, bone being covered by muscle and ligament, fat and pale skin. He heard his hitched breath, and gasped with both pain and amazement as he realized he was once more at the scene of his death, the chamber of the golden army, gazing at his forlorn sister, once more on the ledge and in the agony of death. But he noticed something else on the ledge, and as his screams slowly faded alongside Nuala's, and apparently their pain, the screaming intensified of the foreign female's screams.

He saw her, their loyal servant, who had been bonded to them for thousands upon thousands of years, since even before the humans first warred against the fey. She was the one in pain, the one suffering, and she was suffering to bring him back, him and his sister. But he was weak, and fell forward onto his hands, gasping for the breath his marble body, broken into pieces, had been deprived of for who knows how many years. His soul ached, Arethusa's screams made even him, a hardened prince shake with pity.

He shuddered, and forced himself to stand, not knowing why he'd earned this miracle. But Arethusa was in pain, and he was partly the cause of it. He knew what she would be going through in order to have resurrected the two of them, and she would not have done so without good reason. He began to stumble forward, when a hand clamped down on his shoulder, stopping him.

Hellboy grabbed at the faltering prince, perhaps a bit roughly, but the prince had tried to destroy the world, so deserved no pity. Meanwhile, Abe had gone up quickly to see to the two female fey at the ledge. Nuala had sat up now, and was clinging to Mei's equine neck desperately.

"Brother, please!" the elf female called out, golden eyes wide with panic. Nuada gave a snarl, and shrugged off Hellboy's stony hand.

"Release me, Demon! I have no time for you!" the prince hissed dangerously. Hellboy gave a growl, but stopped when he saw the look of pure fright on the prince's face.

"Why should I, princey? Last time I let you go you were about to stab me behind my back." Hellboy retorted with a snort. Nuada stepped back, disgusted.

"Demon! Do you not hear the screams, see her pain? She is one of our own and you are worried about one whom has no weapon, and does not posses the crown to the golden army! Arethusa needs my sister and I, and you dare to get in my way?!" Nuada snapped, though winced as his ribcage gave a reminder of his wound. He had not been fully healed, why? A unicorn's horn would heal any injury, even bring one back from the dead, why had she not done the job fully? He turned to the pair of female fey, and froze in shock as he saw the golden liquid running over Nuala's white hands.

"Brother!" Nuala called again, and now Nuada knew why she was in such a panic, and why Arethusa had not finished the job. Something had interrupted her. He ignored the ache in his chest, and ran to his sister over the now still gears, reaching his sister's side in a matter of seconds. Nuala looked at him desperately, tears flowing down her cheeks as her hands were clasped tightly over a growing wound on Arethusa's neck. The wound was creeping slightly wider and deeper, vaguely reminiscent of a tree being cut...Down...

"It seems I am needed... Once more to help guide your fates." a slow, leisurely voice seemed to chuckle with a gentle wheeze. All attention was momentarily given to the tall, overshadowing figure at the top of the steps, robe cascading over them behind his eerie, yet powerful form. His yellowed teeth were grinning, as if one were very proud of something, his wings half unfurled, the yellow eyes blinking on the misshapen wings.

"You... You saved me last time." Hellboy muttered softly. The angel of death glanced at him, a truly disturbing sight, for the half disk had no eyes on the sharply contoured face, though did bear a striking crack across. He no longer grinned.

"No, I did not save you. I am not your death this time, Anung un Rama. Her, she with many names, some which only her parents can pronounce, that I cannot. But I know her simply as 'Nymph'. She is dying - she will not destroy the earth, but it is for one of you to decide her fate. Will she live, a mortal without the bond of her tree? Or will she die beside her flora counterpart, to join her great father Chronos, in the sky?" the angel asked languidly as he glided easily forward towards the two elven siblings and the keening monokerata. Nuada glared up at the angel defiantly, but he had no weapon in which to wield.

"...Thana..tos..." came the soft whisper, pained and outright pitiful sounding when compared to the angel of death's. The angel looked at the unicorn expectantly. Only he understood her at the moment, to the others it sounded like soft neighing.

"Let me... die..."

"I am afraid that is not my choice, Nymph." he responded in the english tongue, confusing the others greatly.

"...Who's?" she asked weakly - the cut on her throat had paused growing, but the pain was still very real, and not about to leave. The angel turned around, and pointed to a person no one, not even himself, had expected.

"His. He who has loved once past, survived on a fragment of a soul, shall now be given a second change should he choose to take it. Here is your choice, Johann Krauss. Does she live a mortal life without her heart, her center? Or does she die here and now, joining her family in eternal bliss?" the angel asked steadily, and the shocked gas-bag of a doctor had no clue what to do. Would he deny her eternal happiness?

"I..." he faltered - in the few hours he had known her, though he had gotten very little information from her, he couldn't help but admit he had something of an emotional tie to her. He wasn't sure if it was worth making her suffer life without that presence of her tree. He had lost his body a long time ago, and he remembered that experience. He could only imagine this would be worse for her. But he wanted to learn more about her, and to get to know her perhaps on a personal level. There were several endearing attributes about her that any person couldn't help but like.

"Well, choose." the angel demanded softly but sternly. Johann could feel the eyes of everyone on him, except Mei, or Arethusa, as the prince had called her. He was a little confused by that, but the angel had said himself she had many names. Arethusa must be one of them, and he hoped so. He liked the sound of that one, Arethusa...

"She...Will live." he responded quietly, hoping none but the angel heard him. It was a selfish decision, and already he regretted it as her eyes turned to stare at him, wide with disbelief. She was ready to accept death, and he had just denied her that release. She would hate him now, and inside, Johann could not blame her.

The angel turned back to the monokerata shaped nymph, held out one arm with an open hand, and as his expressive fingers slowly closed, so did the wound on the figure's neck. After a moment, the wound was closed, but a ghastly scar remained, bruised and bleeding under the surface. Her form changed, and she was once more a nymph, yet a nymph no longer.

"You are mortal now, Nymph. No more healing powers, no more shapeshifting, and you shall breathe and live as a human female. I have allowed you the grace of your nymph like appearance and figure. That shall never change. You will suffer sickness and death in due time..." the angel concluded powerfully, fading after the word 'time'.

"NO! Thanatos! No! By your mother Nyx's name, change me back! Kill me! I will not live without my tree! I demand you to come back and kill me! THANATOS!"

It is a truly sorrowful sight, to see her cry and scream like that. She collapsed into Nuala's lap, crying as her throat wound tore a little, showing her new fragility was truly, honestly real. Nuala held her, and even the merciless prince knelt to his sister's side, holding the mourning ex-nymph comfortingly.

"Red...I have a feeling Manning won't be happy with us in the morning..." Abe muttered, adjusting a dial or two on his respirator. Red grunted, arms crossed.

"To hell with Manning, I don't think she'll be happy with anybody in the morning." Hellboy chuckled. He actually found it a little amusing all the trouble they would be giving Manning here soon. Other than that, he didn't want to show how he really felt about this. One thing was for sure though, Johann would be riding up front with Abe on the flight home.

~ Explanations: Thanatos is the Greek God of Death, no not Hades lord of the underworld. Thanatos is the god of death, son of Nyx. The reason why Arethusa / Mei calls the Angel of Death Thanatos? Look at the names and you should get a connection 3


	4. Feline

Alright, I got some inspiration and got this story moving a little. Yay! Kind of moves fast, but I hope it works. Much longer than the last chapter, I hope. Enjoy, if that is what you wish to do :)

Note: lyrics used here are not my own, but I cannot remember the song-writer / composer. The song is called 'Remember Me'.

**"Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 4**

Manning had been furious, alright. But at the sight of a beautiful nymph, he practically melted, sputtered a few words, then let the massive party of six pass. Yes, he even let Nuada and his sister pass - though only because Hellboy had the prince firmly by the arm despite Mei's protests. She was still crying, her tan cheeks now thoroughly stained with golden lines from her tears, but she was determined to walk on her own. Abe was assisting Nuala, who was still a bit frail from the wound not fully healed. Her brother was better equipped to handle the wound, but a frail little female of her condition was not so well capable no matter how she tried.

So that was how Mei, or Arethusa as the team was now being forced to call her by Nuada's demands, was sitting with her knees to her chest while she sat on a plush couch in the library, trying to claim sleep the next morning. She hadn't gotten any all night, and it was now around seven in the morning.

"You need to get your neck checked out, you know..." Abe spoke solemnly to her. She opened her eyes to gaze at the aquatic agent, who was detatching his respirator from around his neck. She shook her head slowly.

"If it is a chance of death, I am leaving it to the gods to decide what happens with my wound." she murmured back to him in Gaelic, though her neck was very sore, and it ached to talk.

"May I at least look at it?" he asked quietly, his sapphire eyes truly concerned. She nodded a little.

"You may..." she mumbled, and leaned her head back as he approached her. His cold, moist hands touched her neck delicately as he applied minute amounts of pressure to gauge her reactions. He gently pressed near the center of her neck and she nearly choked from the wave of pain. He jumped back, and quickly spouted a stream of apologies. She waved a hand at him shortly.

"No need...I can only hope that it festers...I feel so... Empty, and hollow...I do not want to live, Abraham.." she murmured, and closed her eyes once more, burying her head into her knees, allowing her shrinking curtain of hair surround her.

"Please, do not say that Arethusa..." came the soft female voice the nymph knew all too well. She did not lift her head to greet the princess.

"My tree, my heart, is dead Princess Nuala...What am I to do? I cannot become a monokerata anymore, I cannot heal wounds nor abolish poisons! I am mortal and will die within the century!" Arethusa snapped, still speaking in Gaelic, her voice high, and now showing obvious gasps of pain in between her words. Yet the nymph did not face the elven princess, she kept her face buried in her knees. Abe reluctantly stepped away at Nuala's hand on his shoulder.

"I am useless..." the nymph gasped, now beginning to sob. Nuala laid a gentle hand on Arethusa's silken hair, causing the once-immortal to hesitantly raise her head, showing the wound on her neck opened once more, and bleeding over the once un-tarnished purple gown.

"You are not useless. I know one thing which I am very confident you will be much needed for, if you still harbor an affection for children," Nuala offered gently, smiling with both her lips and large gold feline-like eyes.

"...I hold no child ill will..." Arethusa whispered, looing down once again. Nuala smiled wider.

"Then the children of Anung un Rama will need your help. They are becoming more and more restless, and approaching the age of two. At a year old they were difficult enough to handle for Liz, now she wishes for help. She has told me such. Would you help tender the half-demons?" Nuala asked calmly. Abe was surprised when the corners of Arethusa's lips turned upwards slightly in a smile.

"I knew he would have a weakness." she responded fondly. Nuala gave Arethusa a small hug, then helped the orange-haired nymph stand.

"Come, they will need you now." The princess stated. Abe raised a hand to stop the two of them, but Nuala gave him a reassuring smile, and he melted, unable to disagree with her.

'I will take her to the medical unit before she sees Hellboy's twins.' Abe heard softly in his mind. He sighed, but nodded.

"Do take care to be stern with them, they have Hellboy's stubborn nature!" Abe called desperately as the two females of royal dress stepped out of the library. Abe cursed under his breath at the pathetic advice, and gave a sigh before heading up the spiral staircase in order to reach the entrance to his tank.

Nuada glared through the glass as he was held captive in a chrome-colored room, left on a bench, cuffed on wrists and ankles with two agents on the inside and outside of the door. He hadn't even threatened any of them when he came into the building of the BPRD, and that was saying something. What could he do? The demon had told him there was no more chance of resurrecting the golden army - that his little fire girlfriend had melted the crown. So why were the humans so paranoid about his presence? It wasn't like he had weapons on hand. He sighed, and looked at the dull cieling. Well, he'd gotten his wish for color - he just wished he could have a bit more of it now.

He heard the agents shuffle around, and the door open.

"Hey princey! I'm here to make a deal with ya. Either we can lock you up in the darkest prison we've got, or you can work for us. Personally? I'd ask for the first." came the chiding voice of the red demon. He looked a bit weary. Nuada noted this for later.

"Want me gone already, Demon? You should know my answer." Nuada replied dryly. Hellboy grinned.

"Prison it is the-"

"Hey! What're you doing, Hellboy?" an entirely new voice demanded angrily. Hellboy cringed visibly, and growled.

"Get out of here, pipsqueak!" Hellboy retorted angrily.

"No way no how, rat-tail. Nuada's gonna help us out, you knew that already." the voice teased openly. Nuada couldn't see the owner of the voice, but he could tell the person was female, a smart-alec, and not afraid of the demon.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever Cheshire." Hellboy muttered in unglorious defeat. The female chuckled with the faint resemblence of a cat's meow.

"Thought so, big Red. Now move, so I can get a look at our resurrected ballerina, as you've so fondly called him. I hear he still has a wound that no one has bothered to clean up..." the voice ordered sternly, in an accusing manner. Hellboy onyl cringed again, and sucked in his gut as a short but lean figure gracefully slid in between the door frame and the massive girth of the demon. Nuada couldn't believe his eyes. A god-forbidden feline was showing up the demon?!

She grinned widely with sharp fangs poking out over her other, shorter but still sharp teeth, accented by the retracted claws on her hands and...paws. She wore no shoes - her feet were like cat paws. But her body was... Interesting to say the least, and to the prince, not in a good way. She wore blue shorts, tight against what appeared to be short fur, hardly covering her buttocks, and a rather scant top which could only be described as a female's undergarment. Her long, straight black hair was covered on top by a large blue bandana tied in the back, while a brown gun holster and belt was nestled over her shorts and hips. To say the least, Nuada wasn't going to let her touch him if he could help it. Her other attributes disturbed him, too. Tall, somewhat skinny feline ears poked out from specially cut holes in the bandana, whiskers from her slightly elongated muzzle with a feline nose, and then her tail...A tail wasn't that big of a surprise, but about halfway down the length of her tail, it split into two separate tails, and each one moved independantly!

"What in the gods' names are you?" the prince spat, disgusted. He'd seen cat folk before, but none to this scale. He glared at her openly, his golden eyes defiantly matching her sky blue ones.

"I'm a woman, got a problem with it twinkle-toes?" she retorted, not phased at all. He snarled a little at the name, but gave her no satisfaction of a retort.

"Now, I'm going to be your keeper from now on I don't expect us to get along, in fact I'd rather we not, it's more fun that way....But you will report to me for missions, files, papers, updates, medicine and even intimate details of your housing. I will be your supplier, anything you would ask for, you come to me first. If I find out you've disobeyed me, there will be severe punishment, and not the pysical kind." the feline lectured, standing tall and graceful, oddly powerful. Not missing a beat, she stepped forward and pulled out a key, and in a few moments had his cuffs unlocked.

"And what makes you think I will obey you?" Nuada asked angrily, standing up, surprised to find that she only reached his chest.

"Because, pretty-boy, I'm next to top dog around here. I've been here over fifty years, I practically run this place. If I want to know everything you do, if I want to know when you take a bloody piss I'll know it. As for the reason I'm not sending you to the prison cells? Because I know just how much more torture it is for you to be kept up here with the humans. Trust me, I know your type." she growled back at him, in a manner that even he had not expected. Despite this, he didn't give in, even if he mentally decided to amuse her for the time being.

And then he noticed something about her left eye. It was paler than the right - a softer blue, and the pupil was somewhat grey.

"You notice yet, princess?" she scoffed, rolling her eyes and turning away.

"Red, make sure he gets to his quarters, I'm going to go check on Milly, her kittens are due soon, aren't they?" she stated casually to the demon as she paused by him. He nodded.

"Going to help her out, short stuff? Alright, I'll make sure fancy-pants here gets to his room." the demon replied, nodding thoughtfully. Just like her quick entrance - she was gone, leaving Nuada a little bewildered. Hellboy looked over at him.

"Come on, your royal assness, let's get you to your room. If Cheshire wants you there, you're there till she says otherwise," the demon snorted, grinning in that odd manner of his, before he tromped over to Nuada, and pulling him by the arm out the door.

"They're... So sweet." Arethusa murmured quietly, gently touching the red cheek of the little boy in her lap. He was asleep, after she'd helped Liz calm the twins down from a tantrum over a toy.

"Thank you so much for coming in and helping - especially with what just happened." Liz whispered appreciatively in her chair, holding the other twin - another boy. Liz had hoped for one of each, but she loved the boys. They pretty much looked the same, except a for a few things. The elder of them, by 3 minutes, was named Malakai, and had oddly green eyes, alongside a circular set of carvings similar to his father's on his right arm, though niether of the twins had a stone hand, and was prone to temper tantrums more than his brother. The younger was Ivan, with caramel colored eyes, a sweet personality, a wonderful laugh, and a set of swirled 'carvings' on his left arm.

Arethusa gave a small smile, and though she still felt very empty, she had to admit, being around children was helping. And the cats - she always loved animals, and they loved her, so of course the cats were enjoying her presence.

"It is difficult...I feel..cold, and... Alone. But I know, you need help." she replied slowly - she was getting better at her english, but she still had a way to go.

"Liz, you in here?" came a tentative voice, perking Arethusa's curiousity. She turned to look at the owner of the voice, and was pleasantly surprised to see a feline-based demon with two tails.

"Yeah, what do you need, Ciera?" Liz asked in response, smiling. The feline female, small, though still taller than Arethusa, smiled back, and gestured to the cats.

"Milly's about to have kittens, Red said he had her in a room for herself..?" Ciera inquired, a little confused.

"Yeah, I'm surprised he didn't tell you sooner, with how close you two are. She's in the twins' room. He figured she'd feel safe in there, because their room still smells familiar." Liz replied happily, and the calico-resembling feline woman quickly disappeared through a doorway where faint meowing could be heard. Arethusa gave the pyro a somewhat confused look.

"Milly is a tortoise-shell cat, first time mom, and Ciera wants to make sure she gets through it all okay. Hellboy's got a thing for cats, as you probably gathered. Ciera's the reason why. I'm a bit fuzzy on the details, but I'll tell you if you want?" Liz offered, and admittedly curious, the ex-immortal agreed.

"Ciera is a human who while in the womb was overtaken by an envious japanese nekomata spirit, and was forcibly, physically changed. When she was born her mother screamed at the doctors to kill her, but the doctors, confused, simply put the child into a crib in a secluded room, and called the government for help. Professor Broom came, saw the little girl and took her in. Hellboy was seven years old at that point, and already full height, though not quite as muscled, he told me. Trevor told Hellboy to watch the feline-resembling girl in his room, and Hellboy got his obsession for cats then, having Trevor send agents to adopt cats that were to be put down. He asked Trevor if he could name the little girl and the professor told him , he named her Ciera, but nicknamed her Cheshire because of the cat from the Alice in Wonderland movie he'd snuck into a few months earlier. The only problem was that she was white with orange and black spots like a calico, not purple and pink like the disney's version. But she already smiled a lot, and smiled wide like the Cheshire he said, so it was okay. He'd asked Trevor later what Ciera stood for, and the professor smiled and told him it meant 'dark' in Gaelic. Ever since then Hellboy was close to Ciera, and continued to adopt more and more cats over the years, particularly the calico or tortoise-shell cats. Ciera grew quickly, and appeared to grow just like Hellboy, in 'reverse dog years' as Clay liked to put it when he was still around." Liz explained thoroughly, satisfying Arethusa's curiosity.

"She.. seems nice." Arethusa replied, a bit dumbly.

"Oh, she's excellent. A wonderful leader, and still a great friend. She's a bit rough and strict, but she'll give you allowances for honest mistakes and other things. Over all, she's just a good person to have around. Me and Red joke that she's a friend and house-pet wrapped into one," Liz chuckled, grinning widely.

"I heard that, Liz!" came the dull voice from the other room. Liz started laughing, which woke up Malakai, who murmured a little at being woken up.

"Go back to sleep Malakai, I didn't mean to wake you," Liz cooed softly. He began to shake his head in protest, when both red-skinned boy and pyro mother heard a soft humming. There was one thing that Arethusa could do in full english, and that was sing. But she knew very few songs...She knew this song in english, though, but decided to sing in gaelic instead.

Malakai dozed off about halfway through, so Arethusa stopped, and smiled. Liz stared in amazement.

"I never thought to sing to them, I didn't think it would work...What were you singing, if you don't mind my asking?" Liz asked, completely in awe. Arethusa giggled softly.

"It is a song, named 'Remember me'. I can.. Sing it in english, if you want..?" Arethusa offered shyly. She'd never sung in english to another person before, just animals. Liz nodded eagerly. The nymph smiled, and repeated the song in english.

"...Remember me when I am gone away,

gone far away, into a silent land.

Remember me, when I am gone away,

when you can no more hold me by the hand.

Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay,

remember me when no more day by day

you tell me of the future that you planned,

only remember me, you understand?

Remember me, when I am gone away

gone far away, into a silent land,

remember me when I am far away,

when you can no more hold me by the hand.

it may be late to council then or pray,

and if you should forget me for a while,

then afterwards remember, then afterwards remember do not grieve

Better by far you should forget, and smile.

Then that you should remember and be sad...

Remember me, when I am gone away,

gone far away, into a silent land.

Remember me, when I am gone way,

when you can no more hold me by the hand.

Remember me...."

She felt a bit embarassed at the end, because she couldn't remember the original singer - the songs she learned in english she learned from people who had sung near her tree. Supposedly this song was a love song, but the melody was so sweet that one could use it for a lullaby as well. She remembered the young woman who had sung it to her, though, years ago. She had been a young girl, hopelessly in love, but she had cancer, and would die soon. So she led her loved one under her tree, and sang the song. They broke up after that, because the woman came back the next night alone, and crying.

All of it was sad...And made her long for love, herself. But she was still forbidden, as far as she could tell. Liz stood up, bringing the sleeping Malakai up over her shoulder, and smiled down at Arethusa.

"Thank you very much for helping me, Arethusa. I wouldn't mind if you stopped by again, whenever you want to? It's always nice to have a helping hand. Maybe I can start going on missions again, if you're willing to babysit for a few hours sometimes." Liz asked kindly, momentarily retreating into the room which Ciera had gone. She came out a few minutes later, and relieved Arethusa of Ivan.

"I.. Would like that, Liz." the nymph replied quietly, blushing a little, giving her cheeks a beautiful glow. Liz smiled.

"Thanks. Oh, and don't forget to come to me or Hellboy if you need anything. You can go to Ciera, too if you want. We're all here together." She stated helpfully, before once more going into the adjoined room for a few minutes.

"But for now, I think you need to get some sleep, like Malakai and Ivan. I can see the shadows under your eyes." Liz ordered, chuckling. Arethusa smiled, and chuckled a little as well.

"Thank you, Liz." The nymph replied, now in a better mood than which she came in. Her tree had been a very important part of herself, but maybe she could learn to live without it.


	5. Feminine issues

**"Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 5**

Three weeks had gone by, and the bureau had been peaceful, for the most part. A mission or two had occurred, nothing serious except a few missing persons reports. The people hadn't been found yet, but agents were actively searching. Milly the tortoise-shell cat had given birth to five kittens, one of which Hellboy had promised to Arethusa for helping with the twins. Malakai wasn't having as many tantrums, mostly because Arethusa was finding why he was getting so upset, and solving the problem before they could repeat themselves. Malakai liked to have things done his way, no exceptions, even at such a young age. So she started asking him what he wanted, and if he couldn't have that, he would get a compensation, or rebuke. One time, Malakai had wanted a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, but he wanted the cut to be from corner to corner, not down the middle. Arethusa had cut down the middle on purpose, and when Malakai began to throw a fit over the wrongly cut sandwich, Arethusa simply took the meal away. The little half demon thought she was making him another one, but after a few minutes she came back empty handed. She'd put the sandwich where he wasn't going to get it, and told him if he was going to complain about something little like the way his food is cut, he won't get any, but if he wanted to apologize and eat the sandwich as it was, he would get a treat. Malakai had hastily agreed, because his stomach was growling at him.

She smiled at that memory, resting her hand inside the book she was reading. Abe had told her that she could read whatever she wished here, and so she took up the opportunity. Malakai and Ivan were down for their naps, so she had a few hours peace. She was reading a book of recorded notes of Fantasy beings. The book showed detailed drawings or pictures of creatures, dead or alive (or sometimes both), and all sorts of facts, stories and events the creatures were involved in. The book was large, and easily weighed seven pounds or so. Arethusa looked back down at the page she was on, smiling solemnly.

_ Ny - Nymph_

_Basic Info.: Nymphs are Greek females of a seductive or natural persuasion, the more common being nude. Nymphs will most likely be bound to an inanimate or animate object, as in, a stream, tree, plant, or even a set area like a field or lake. Nymphs are not highly intelligent, nor are they very strong. Preferring to hide than fight, if their object is threatened they, on most occasions will try to protect said object, but will most likely fail. If their object dies, they die as well. It is unknown a Nymph's loyalties to anything other than their object._

_Common Locations of known subjects: Unknown_

_Linked Deities or figures: Greek Gods / Goddesses, commonly Zeus, Dionysus, and other gods._

_Captive: None_

The book had little on nymphs. For a moment she pondered writing a page of her own to add in - but shook her head. She was no nymph anymore. Just a pretty human female, roughly nineteen, as Abe had helped her find out, though she was millions years older than that in truth. She flipped to a random page, trying to find something interesting.

_Caz - Cazador el Embarazada_

_Basic Info.: Cazador el mbarazada, the Spanish name for a chameleon like lesser demon. Cazador el Embarazada translates roughly to "Hunter of the Pregnant", or "Pregnant Hunter". Little is known of these creatures other than that they are created when a child is emotionally rejected by their female parent. So far there is no reason for this demon creating process, but the goal of the Cazador el Embarazada is clear. These chameleon-skinned creatures that look like they belong in the swamp, after they are created spiritually, are hungry to become flesh blood and bone. They do this, supposedly, by killing the female parent that rejected the mentioned child. Some wonder if the Cazador el Embarazada is attempting to revenge the child, or if the situation is an adapted coincidence of the species. The face and stomach seem to be prime wound areas._

_Common Locations of known subjects: New York, Minnesota, Washington, Cuba, Africa, Egypt._

_Linked Deities or figures: Commonly linked to the Chupacabra._

_Captive: Three as of 1994_

_- Calls himself Leche, which is the word for 'cream'. Killed three women, two of which were teenagers, all received abortions._

_- Calls herself Lamb, in reference to the term 'gentle'. Killed one middle-aged woman, who had rejected her newborn child._

_- Calls himself Fluffy, no explanation given. Killed a record seven women, all with various situations._

_Note: Kept in the western wing, with deadly captives._

The picture was intriguing...There were several smaller ones with tiny scribbled captions that she couldn't read, but she didn't really need to. Some of the images were horrifying photos of women torn to shreds, their stomachs and faces marred. There were two actual images of the Cazador, as the strange being was called. Thin and slinky, almost anorexic in appearance, with three fingers and toes to each appendage and sharpened bones jutting from the elbows and knees. A medium length tail with webbed spines at the end was about the same length as the torso, and the entire length of the spine until the rump had extending spines with webbing in between. The face was a sideways oval, with a set of teeth that easily stretched from each side of the head. Wide, angular eyes glared through the photos.

She decided she didn't want to meet one of these beasts - ever. They were completely frightening! She hastily flipped the pages, searching for something less disturbing. She had a bad feeling that those creatures would come back to haunt her, but she worriedly pushed the feeling away and focused on the less-frightening image in front of her now, of a small brown creature with four legs and two arms, much like a centaur did. With a quick glance at the name, her worries eased.

_Fol - Foli Burrachia_

_Basic Info.: Foli Burrachia, or otherwise referred to as a 'curse burr', is typically a small brown, weakly spin-formed creature that mimics the shape of tree seed-capsules, known as burrs. More often than not, these creatures will become the burrs and 'fade out' in a sense, while fertilizing the soon to be seedlings. Other than this, Foli Burrachia are of little importance, though they are very close to plants and animals of woodland areas. _

_Linked Deities or figures: None, to date._

_Captive: One as of 1996_

_- Calls himself Zotico, which is the Greek term for lively. Is used for sensitive cases involving woodland beings like fauns or nature creatures._

Now these didn't seem too dangerous. Rather cute, actually. The single photo showed a size reference, with a person's finger next to him. He was hardly as tall. A short caption was scribbled underneath, noting that the curse burrs could roll into a burr-like shape much like a armadillo or hedgehog rolled up. They seemed oddly familiar....Oh, that's right. One or two lived in the park, and often had come by to clean her tree of spare leaves - but they wouldn't be doing that anymore. She became crestfallen again, her heart sinking. She was still depressed over her tree's down falling. She was slowly filling the gap with the presence of her new found friends, but she couldn't help but feel the sorrow, and even anger about the situation. She was angry because Johann had chosen for her to live. She enjoyed her friends' companionship, but she would never forgive him. "Still depressed, little nymph?"

Arethusa looked up with a slightly startled expression, but relaxed when she saw who it was. She and Ciera had gotten very close the past few weeks, because Ciera was very sympathetic to her, while still urging Arethusa to move on. Also, Ciera had worked with Arethusa extensively to strengthen her confidence with English, and thanks to the help, Arethusa had recovered her ability to speak fluently in English - though she still talked a bit slower than most people.

"A little. But I'm just reading right now, I'm looking up mythical creatures. It's actually quite interesting how little information is recorded on some." she replied sheepishly. Ciera smiled warmly and sat down next to her, peeking at the pages that were open.

"They're cute. We've got one here, you know. And several other woodland folk, they wanted protection so we gave them a little courtyard all to their own, separate to the one you've got near our wing. They don't visit much, but I know a few of them. That one too, Zotico's a little brat but he's friendly enough. Want to meet them?" Ciera dabbled, smiling mischievously. Arethusa's eyebrows narrowed a little.

"It's a forbidden area, isn't it?" she accused in a mumble, knowing the cat's expressions all to well already. Ciera snickered.

"Oh come on, Areth! We won't get into trouble - besides...It'll be fun!" was the reply received.

"No, I'm not going to get into trouble because you want to show me something that is probably something entirely different!" Arethusa responded untrustingly.

"Awe, don't be like that. I really do want you to meet -" Ciera paused, eyes dilating a little as her black feline-like nose twitched, as if she was smelling something odd.

"...Arethusa...Did that guy - the angel, or Thana-whatever, tell you that you would experience _everything_ like a human female?" Ciera asked slowly, staring straight into the nymph's eyes, which were now a pale brown, like the now shortened hair that had shrunk over the weeks. Arethusa thought for a moment then nodded, not liking the tightened feeling in her gut that she'd felt earlier and dismissed as worry.

"I think we need to get you to a bathroom, now." Ciera murmured lowly.

"What, why? What's wrong?" Arethusa asked, beginning to panic at Ciera's odd actions.

"Because, I'm smelling blood. I think you're starting your period." Ciera replied, one brow raised in a quirky manner. Arethusa's brows narrowed.

"My 'period'? What's that? I don't know what you're talking about," she replied in disbelief.

"Just stand up, take my hand, and follow me while walking with your thighs pressed together as tightly as you can while still being able to walk." Ciera ordered, beginning to snicker a little. Arethusa sighed, though the ache in her abdomen was starting to bother her.

"Fine, I'll play your game Ciera." the nymph grumbled, saving her page and placing the book on a nearby table. She stood, following the cat's instructions. Ciera took her hand, and began to slowly lead her back to their wing in the east side. They made it back, and Ciera had her enter the code to go inside her room.

"Now go sit on the toilet and wait for me, alright? I need to get some things from Liz," Ciera instructed further, and Arethusa simply rolled her eyes, not enjoying this folly. But she obeyed, and went to the toilet which she was still getting used to - when she was a nymph she hadn't the need to eat or drink, therefore she didn't need to use the restroom. But now that she was human she did, so in her rushed shamble of a miniature courtyard and slight living quarters that had a toilet, shower, sink and dresser, she had the human necessities alongside the natural ones she was used to. She waddled over to the bathroom, falling over once and bruising her elbow, and with a cute grumble sat on the toilet with the lid down.

A few minutes later, Ciera knocked on the bathroom door, and then entered with three pairs of shirts and pants, odd white things in the shape of a cut up triangle, and some weird plastic covered squares with white tabs on them.

"Here, you'll have to wear pants and shirts until this is blown over - are you sitting on the toilet lid?!" Ciera exclaimed, mouth wide open. Arethusa just gazed at her with an innocently and justly confused look.

"Ugh! Just stand up, please! Now I'll have to clean all that blood up!" Ciera growled, annoyed. A little shocked, Arethusa jumped off the toilet, and in amazement there was a small pool of blood where she had been sitting.

"Ciera, what's wrong with me?! Why am I bleeding! I don't have any cuts on my thighs! I haven't sat on anything sharp, have I?" Arethusa asked frantically, going in and out of Gaelic in her panic.

"Calm down, you're not gonna die, just chill for a minute. Come here," Ciera grumbled, hastily opening one of the plastic squares to reveal a white soft looking thing which she attached to the white triangles.

"Put this on, slip both your legs through the holes so the wide part goes around your waist. This is underwear and a pad - the underwear you should really get used to, and the pad will stop the blood from running down your legs and getting everywhere." Ciera explained, a bit in a rush to get the mess cleaned up.

"But what's going on, I'm so confused.." Arethusa moaned in worry, absent-mindfully putting the 'underwear' on, hopefully the right way.

"You're starting your period, which means you're fertile, to say the least...But really it just means your body is in heat, really, if you want to think of it in animal terms. This will happen once a month, and unless you want to be in the bathtub draining bloody water continuously for three or more days, you better get used to wearing underwear and pads. Getting used to pants and shirts wouldn't be a bad thing either..." Ciera rambled, now beginning to clean up the toilet lid.

"You'll have to change the pad every few hours, to keep it fresh and from stinking, just be glad I caught the scent when I did. Otherwise Abe wouldn't have been happy that his favorite chair would be out of commission until cleaned." Ciera chuckled, throwing away a wad of toilet paper.

"Ciera...You said this means I'm fertile...You mean I can have children?" Arethusa asked slowly, in a daze. Everything else had nearly slipped through her ears - _fertile_....

"Yeah, that's what I said. Why?" Ciera replied, eyes wide and mouth parted a little, fangs showing.

"...While I was immortal I couldn't have children - I sacrificed that ability to become a monokerata..." Arethusa replied, somewhat happily. Ciera made a small sound, and her tail flicked.

"Wow...That's actually really cool, once you think about it. Just don't go getting pregnant so soon on me, nymph! The twins are rowdy enough, and you still have to take care of Milly's kitten! Have you named the little one yet, or rather, chosen yet?" Ciera asked, briefly changing the subject.

"Hellboy said I could have one of the boy kittens, since there are four of them. I was thinking of taking the little gray and white one, the one with the green-yellow eyes?" Arethusa replied, smiling a little, though she felt really awkward with the underwear and pad on. This was going to take a lot of getting used to.

"Oh, the runt? He's cute, really noisy though. That might be for the best, though. Here, put these jeans on like you did the underwear, and take off your gown! That thing hasn't even been cleaned since you got here, it's all gross and dirty! - Liz has been complaining about the cats keeping her up, a loudmouth one wouldn't be that good for them among all of those other whiners." Ciera replied, ordering as she went, shoving a pair of blue pants with a somewhat rough texture into the ex-immortal's arms. Arethusa clumsily slipped her gown off, and put the jeans on after a few failed attempts.

"He's soft, and even though he's only a few weeks old, I think he likes me. I'll tell Hellboy tonight that I want him - I think I've got a name for him, too. I don't know why, the name just sounds right - Salem." Arethusa spoke jaggedly throughout her struggles to get the jeans on. After that was complete, a long shirt was shoved her way, and this was easier though still a bit difficult, to get on. It had no sleeves, but the hem reached just over her buttocks.

"I really don't feel so confident wearing these, Ciera! I'll look so silly!" Arethusa whined, pleading desperately.

"You look fine, even my half-blind feline ass can see that. You look good in those colors, blue jeans and a pink shirt. You really need to find some other necklace, though. That golden trinket won't match everything, you know." Ciera chuckled, indicating the choker around the nymph's neck. Instantly Arethusa's hands were at her choker.

"I cannot! It symbolizes my bond to the Bethmoora clan! Without it, I will have lost one of my very dear connections - it is the reason I was able to find and resurrect the royal twins at all, without it the goblin king would not have allowed me entrance to the ruins..." Arethusa cried, eyes wide with fear that her most treasured posession would be taken from her. Ciera held her hands up in defeat.

"Alright, I won't make you get rid of it. I understand, trust me. It would take a fool not to know you've got a deep connection with them. It would be heartless to sever that bond." Ciera soothed, offering a genuine smile. Arethusa gave a sigh of relief.

"You and Liz will have to go shopping though - but your ears will be a problem... Eh, a hoodie or hat will hide them well enough." Ciera chortled, grinning. Arethusa's gaze narrowed.

"That's not funny. You know I get claustrephobic around people outside of the bureau..." Arethusa murmured dully. Ciera smirked.

"You'll have Liz with you, hell, take Myers or some of the other agents if you want. I hear he got back from Antarctica last week. He's a softie, really, but he'd still protect you well enough if anything happened. How about it? I'll set it up with Manning, if you want." Ciera offered, eyes bright. Arethusa smiled, adjusting the pants so they were lower on her hips.

"I'd like that. I need to get used to this world, now that I have to live like you guys." she mused, sighing softly.

"But will I really have to start wearing these? My gown is so much more comfortable..." Arethusa murmured with a pout. Ciera only laughed.


	6. Character Links

Links to characters

**Lady of Autumn **

Mei Monokera / Arethusa: .com/art/Arethusa-Monokera-157412257

Temesis: .com/art/Temesis-the-Nymph-157410859

Cazador El Embarazada: .com/art/Cazador-El-Embarazada-157411535

Zotico / Fauns: .com/art/Aster-Chloris-Zotico-157412828

Ciera: .com/art/Ciera-the-Nekomata-157411193

(More characters to be added later...)


	7. Mannequin

"**Lady of Autumn"**

**Chapter 6**

People were not her obvious forte, and she felt very uncomfortable. She was wearing the clothes Ciera had given her, but that wasn't making anything any better. Liz had given her a hoodie for the time being, to use while they went to a small 'mall', as she dubbed it. Apparently they would be able to find just about any type of merchandise here with 'ease' as Liz put it. Again, that wasn't making anything easier for her because people were swarmed around her and Liz, and though she looked human enough, Arethusa couldn't help the claustrophobic feeling, and the fear that was beginning to creep up her spine that someone would discover she was 'different' than them.

Ciera had gone through the trouble earlier that afternoon to convince Manning to let Liz escort Arethusa around, claiming to be getting new clothes.

"Areth, come here. What about this store? Do you like any of the clothes in here?" Liz asked mechanically – though she was being sincere. Arethusa could only shake her head. She favored the loose gowns of the Greek. But the only place where the pair had found anything similar was a 'maternity' store, and those were night robes. Liz had told her no to these options, because they would mark Arethusa as different, and that wasn't what she wanted, was it..?

"No, I'm not liking pants and shorts that well, they're very confining…" she murmured as another person bumped into her. She was reminded of that night on the street, so short a time ago, when Johann had taken her to the bureau.

'_Johann..._' she thought mournfully. He had helped her greatly by allowing her the information enough to reach the twins, and the means of getting there, but what he had done to her was unforgivable. He'd made a choice that wasn't his – and though she was enjoying her new life to a degree, she still wished she had gone the other way. She hadn't seen him at all the past few weeks – she was beginning to wonder if he even lived at the BPRD. It wouldn't surprise her if he didn't.

"What's wrong? You look sad." Liz pondered, her voice concerned. Arethusa shook herself a little bit, and forced a smile at the pyro.

"I'm fine, just…Thinking about what happened." She responded softly. Liz didn't need to ask "what" had happened. Whenever Arethusa was remembering what happened, the answer was always the same.

'_Being so sad isn't good for her. Perhaps we should just go home._' Liz mused. They only had three bags – a few shirts, a lot of skirts ranging from knee to ankle length in one bag, one pair of baggy pants Liz had sneaked in there, and two jackets in another, one of which was a thick woolen one that they had both agreed would be good for winter, and in the last bag were the undergarments of both natures, also a pair of slipper-shoes with a few socks, because Liz had had to lend Arethusa a pair of shoes for the trip here. She needed at least one pair of shoes for herself!

"Let's go home; we've got enough things for you. I'm sure the twins will be glad to see us, they always enjoy when you're around." Liz offered, gently placing a hand on the nymph's shoulder. Arethusa smiled forlornly.

"Thank you, Liz. I really don't think it would be a good thing for me to start crying in public...My tears are gold, after all..."

Azure eyes followed the pair closely, and a long tail swished behind the figure in anticipation. They just had to get closer, and they would be within pouncing range...But there were too many people around. What if they were seen? That would be bad - humans had the tendency to over react to their appearance. Claws shifted in the plush carpet under a massive tree. The humans were decorating again - they did this every winter after the fall season. Something about showing their mated ones, offspring and others they 'cared'.

Sharp fangs ground strongly against each other in frustration. Now the pair were moving away! And they had been so close! The nymph-like little one hiding her ears, and the fiery one who was at the moment relaxed, not in flames while in close proximity to the _mortals_. Hiding, hiding, hiding....Always hiding! They were tired of hiding! The owner of the blue eyes wailed silently and writhed in self pity. To hide was to be weak, but to hide was in their nature, in all nature! Revenge, revenge! Those two magical women would help with that, revenge! Revenge!

An oval shaped head with rounded maw grinned as the owner continued to roll and contort their body, writhing now in both pity and pleasure, deep self-born pleasure at the merest primal thought of revenge. It was a wonder the tree hadn't fallen over yet, in the center of the food area the humans had here. Too late, too late, the magical pair were gone, but the owner of the eyes was not.

"Patience, patience, patience! One must wait, Ci! They must wait to get what they want, Ci, we will wait!" the owner cackled to themselves, their wheezing voice drowned by the humans'.

Another three weeks had passed - two more until the holiday which Arethusa had only just heard about. 'Christmas'. She'd never celebrated it before - Winter was a cold time for her, not one of rejoicing. Liz was pestering her daily about joining the festivities, but every time the nymph refused. She simply found no joy in the dead Winter. The nymph sighed softly, relaxing in the bough of her small, yet homely tree that was kept in prime weather conditions, so inside her courtyard like room, the weather was always spring. But that didn't affect her hair and eyes - that was a naturally occurring change in her body, and the transformation only reminded her of her new mortality. Every day she spent idling about, she was getting closer to the imminent death that all humans faced.

But every day she cared less and less. She had friends - yes the pain still remained from the loss of her tree, though nearly two months had passed, but she was recovering. The wound on her neck was now only a faded purple scar, a little blotchy, but faint. She talked with Nuada at least once a day - he often sought refuge from the bureau's activities inside her room. Her room was the most abundant in color of the entire building structure besides the restricted courtyard kept closed off for the woodland magical creatures who wanted privacy. Ciera still was convinced she would take Arethusa in there to meet all the creatures; apparently Ciera had gone in there many times, and the folk inside were very kind to her.

It was cold outside of Arethusa's room, though, too cold for her liking. The bureau was so large it would be too costly to heat the entire building, so the hallways and less used rooms were left unheated, leaving agents with chattering teeth. So she politely asked if meals could be brought to her room - and the agents seemed more than willing to take turns to bring her trays of fruit, nuts and veggies for a chance of warmth while they waited to take her tray back for her. She thought this cute, and if the agents weren't supposed to be on duty she would offer them all a space to warm up for a while. Manning would have a litter of kittens over that - and Manning didn't like cats, Arethusa had found out quickly. Though she absolutely adored them, which partially made her bond with Ciera that much stronger.

In fact, Arethusa was already in on many of Ciera and Hellboy's antics, though she never partook in them directly. Mostly, whenever Hellboy or Ciera sneaked out, they would find a stray cat or two, and because Liz was getting frustrated with the sheer amount of cats in the room, Hellboy, Ciera and Arethusa had taken a day to transfer almost half of the current cats into her courtyard-sized room, where there was plenty of space for them. Another chore she had asked an agent to do was help her clean up after the cats, though she refrained from asking an agent more than once a day. Again, they seemed more than happy to help for a short time in the nice warm temperature.

So now Arethusa was taking care of twenty or so cats, including her new little kitten Salem, which Hellboy was happy to see outgrow his runt phase. Arethusa smiled, petting said cat on her stomach. At all times there were at least three cats around her, and Salem was usually one of them. She hummed softly, closing her eyes in bliss. It was mid-afternoon, just after lunch and all the cats were settling down for a short nap. That included a horde of them climbing up her trees (which she had seven inside the courtyard!) to sleep in the green leafed boughs, protected and peaceful. The 'artificial sun' at the top of her room was cleverly designed by Abe, where the light strengthened, weakened, and rotated to mimic the pattern of the sun over the course of a day. There was even a setting, which Abe had taught her how to use the dial for, to make there be white 'fluffy' clouds passing over the dome-sky that had been so beautifully crafted, and occasionally blotting the sun out like real clouds, even though they were far from the soft things clouds really were. Abe was more than happy to make the ceiling set-up for her, he had told her, because she had brought back his chance for love, and he was more than grateful.

All in all? She was happy. Life wasn't perfect, but she was well off. She began to sing softly, making up a hymn in English on the spot to honor her new found friends. They more than deserved it...

"As the leaves fell,

I found new hope,

I found a way to cope.

Fire, smoke,

Water and earth,

We all laugh with mirth.

You honor me,

your pleasant gift,

a brand new shift.

My leaves were gone,

Where did I go wrong,

to so early hear Winter's song?

Strong Gold eyes,

Bright Blue eyes,

Warm Brown eyes....

Fire, smoke,

Water and Earth,

We all laugh with mirth...." The cats around her purred in response to the song, so she continued to hum it, committing it to memory. She would have to sing that for all the agents at some point or another.

Little did the nymph know, someone other than the cats heard her song, and the owner did not have ears. Steam hissed softly and metal clunked as Johann Krauss stepped away from the door to Arethusa's door. He held a medium sized box in his arms, and a smaller one on top. Both were wrapped in a sort of brown mailing paper, tied with twine in the shape of a clumsy ribbon. Johann had a feeling he was not included in that song, though it appeared all the other agents were, though they had not been named. He sighed, and turned sharply away, retreating solemnly back to his quarters. He had been isolating himself - planning, thinking, wondering what he could do to both redeem himself in that nymph's eyes, and make her feel welcome in his 'eyes'.

He had been painstakingly working, researching and building for the past four weeks, filing reports on missions and working on bureau business for the two weeks prior to that. He had all but been a shadow for how often anyone saw him around. He had taken to shutting himself into his room, working meticulously at his project. It was a gift for her - he wasn't sure if she'd like it, but he could only hope. For one, he wanted her to be happy so he could add notes to his book on mythological creatures he had in the library. Abe was storing it for him, and years of research on many different creatures was inside that seven or eight pound book. But mostly he wished to talk to her. He found her simple, but knew better.

He should've known better than to hope for such a silly thing as redemption in the eyes of someone he had taken a dear thing from. With his billowy heart full of sorrow, or what heart and emotions that were left, he turned and began to retreat back to the sanctum of his room. Perhaps he should get that book back from Abe and add what little information he had collected about nymphs to the book – he could remember that small article still. It had only the very basic information that he had known, having never met a nymph in person until her. He sighed, exhaling a bout of steam. What he would give for another chance at friendship. He and Abe were friends, one could argue, but Abe had little time now for the ectoplasmic being now that his love had been returned to him.

He pondered that thought for a moment, and gave another steamy sigh. What he would give for _love_, he corrected himself. He didn't know how it was possible – or why, but was he falling in love with the nymph, despite the fact he was intangible without his suit, and having already had a wife though she was long gone. He still had his golden wedding ring in treasured memory. Was he really going to betray what little emotion he had left on a woman who at the moment despised him? As he slid into his darkened room, lit by only two desk lamps which illuminated all sorts of doll furniture projects of his, he emitted another windy sigh. He was sighing a lot today…

'_Apparently, I will be giving it all up_.' He thought eerily to himself as he spared a glance at his other desk, where failed wooden sculptures lay by the dozens. He had practiced on flawed wood before he'd dared to touch the special fibers he intended for one of his gifts to her. He had failed many times, never having put his wood working skill towards a wooden doll before, a mannequin. At least, the doll he'd made moved like a mannequin, though more graceful. In fact, the form as he remembered it was quite similar to those odd dolls young girls were entranced with at an early age... What were they called? Bunbies, no...Ah! Barbies. But then again, his mannequin was so much more complex than those simple toys. One could move every joint, realistically, and the little doll seemed almost real.

'_Anything in her visage is turned graceful_.' He thought, then pondered that a little. He'd thought that automatically, why? Was he so entranced his thoughts focused on her whenever he was alone? Quite possibly. But what would a nymph so beautiful as her want with a 'gas-bag' like him, as Hellboy called him so often? He sighed again without realizing he'd done so. He'd never be able to really hold her, not to the point a woman would like at least.

He twiddled his fingers in front of his glass dome after setting down the paper wrapped boxes. Metal wasn't comforting to touch, and neither was leather with the texture of a potato sack. How would she feel about him, constantly disgusted by his touch? Steam was no better – he may be softer and warmer to the touch than the leather or metal, but then he was not substantial. Was there no way for him to win?

'_No, there isn't. Whether I won her heart or not, she would not be satisfied with me. It is illogical… I wouldn't want to feel either version of me_.' He thought gravely. His thoughts turned momentarily to the elven prince she had brought back to life – he was being more than difficult as of late, and Ciera was tiring of him quickly. Nuada refused to go on missions, or as he so delicately put it 'to aid you wretches would be to suffer the after life again, I will not "work" alongside any of you!'.

Johann sputtered out a short curse word as something fell over on his desk, and he glanced to see a small brown figure shuffling around, peering intensely at the doll furniture.

"Zotico. You know I don't like you invading my things." Johann warned, closing in on the dark brown figure hardly the size of an eye. The figure stopped, and looked at him with large yellow eyes with no pupil.

"Oh relax! I'm just looking for something…" the creature clicked back, resuming his search for whatever he had come for.

"Tell me what you are looking for, and I might be able to help you." Johann offered, not liking the woodland creature snooping around his room.

"A doll, it was in here this morning. It looked just like the girly, when she had long orange hair. You know, the girl you're obsessing over? I was gonna add something onto it that I made, but it up and disappeared!" Zotico muttered in frustration. Johann's eyes would have narrowed, had he any. Zotico was known for making mischief, and he was not above destroying Johann's projects, and had done so many times before the past few years he had been working for the BPRD.

"I made that doll, you know. And I don't appreciate you coming in here, just what were you going to add to it that I might have missed?" Johann asked, a bit offended. He thought he'd included every detail…Well, he hadn't seen her in a while, and maybe he did miss something. He turned back to the packages, and delicately opened the smaller one on top. Inside the brown wooden box was a miniature version of Arethusa, minus one detail that Johann currently wasn't aware of, and Zotico was. The brown curse burr swiftly clambered onto Johann's metal tipped fingers when the doctor returned to the lit desk, and scrambled for something hidden in the bed of spines on his back. Something small and gold appeared in his short clawed arms, all four of them, and those arms reached out around the mannequin's neck, clasping it there.

Johann nearly smacked himself. He'd forgotten her choker! Zotico beamed up at him.

"How did you make it, mein fruend?" Johann asked softly, gently touching the delicate thing.

"Aster found me a bit of gold, and Chloris helped me make it. The three of us have been spying on her since she got here, you know. With Aster and Chloris' abilities to transfer from tree to tree, no matter the distance or obstacles, it's a cinch to do when she's not paying attention!" Zotico squealed, grinning. Johann gave a small chuckle.

"Danke, mein fruend. Is there anything else I may have missed?" Johann asked curiously, looking over the mannequin. His gaze fell on the mannequin's face, the brown lips turned upwards in a smile, the red-orange eyes gleaming and shining in the lamps' light. As if she were smiling at him...

"Nope. When you going to give it to her? Or are you gonna keep it and stare at it every night?" Zotico wheezed, cackling. Johann gently pushed his finger against the burr creature, off-balancing the tiny thing.

"Hey, hey, hey! No need to be hurting me!" Zotico grumbled, rubbing a now sore shoulder. Johann merely let out a puff of steam, alongside a small chuckle. Zotico gave another grin.

When would he give the doll to her? Christmas was around the corner...Today was the nineteenth of December, if he remembered correctly.

'_Yes. I will give her both on Christmas. One on the eve, and the other in the morning of._' he decided.


End file.
